Teen Talk: Beyond Books

What we can do to help troubled teens cope?

By Jami Jones -- School Library Journal, 1/1/2004

Teens are in crisis, and the statistics are staggering: half of all teens have been affected by the divorce of their parents; one in five lives in poverty; and approximately one in six suffers from depression. Thirty-five percent of teenage girls get pregnant at least once before age 20.

Even though the teen pregnancy rate has declined somewhat, America's rate remains higher than any other industrialized country in the world. Many teens use cigarettes, alcohol, and marijuana to fit in, and they say these substances are easy to buy. Although not all adolescents are troubled, the likelihood of knowing teens who are facing challenges and may be struggling is significant.

What can librarians do to address the challenges and issues facing teens? Besides developing meaningful book collections, displays, and bibliographies, what else are we supposed to do? The National Middle School Association, in a report called "Roadmap to Achievement for Middle Schools," lays down the gauntlet. "Every day, 20 million diverse, rapidly changing 10- to 15-year-olds enrolled in our nations middle schools are making critical and complex life decisions… they deserve schools that support them fully during this key phase in life." The Association identified 14 key elements that characterize successful schools for young adolescents. Four of these—creating an inviting, supportive, and safe environment; valuing working with teens; engaging in active learning with students; and being an adult advocate for teens—provide the rationale to step out of our boxes, our comfort zone, and the way we have always done things to develop programs and services in school and public libraries that are uniquely geared to a segment of the population that historically has been underserved.

Shiftra Barushson-Arbib exemplifies the proactive school librarian. In a school in Or Jehuda, Israel, a small city near Tel Aviv, Barushson-Arbib conducted an experiment to determine how teens would respond to his efforts to address their issues and challenges. He developed a special self-help section in the library that included resources and information—both fiction and nonfiction—on problems of interest to teens, such as drugs, sex, death, and violence. Each month, the library focused on one topic and displayed resources and sponsored movies and lectures. According to Barushson-Arbib, this section was a resounding success, and teens gravitated toward this information. He found that reading, especially among boys, increased substantially. In addition, the learning environment of the school changed as students discussed and debated topics that had previously been discouraged, but were of great interest to teens. "Reading became a pleasure and experience to share," says Barushson-Arbib. Collaborative relationships were developed, especially with guidance counselors, who began asking Barushson-Arbib to recommend materials for troubled adolescents.

Barushson-Arbib is not alone in his desire to address the challenges of youth. Mary Aitchison, a media specialist at Oak Ridge High School, in Orlando, FL, and a co-recipient of the Florida Association of Media in Education's 2003 Amanda Award for her work with at-risk teens, has transformed her school's media center into a warm, inviting space and created a program that addresses the wide-ranging needs of the mostly poor and minority students that she serves. Comfortable nooks house book and informational displays about health, recreation, culture, and employment. Messages are scattered throughout the library, encouraging teens to pursue further education to attain their goals. Soft classical music plays during lunchtime. And not only are teens' minds filled with hope, so are their stomachs: kids who don't have enough money for food have the option of making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. In other words, Aitchison's media center reflects her deep concern for children at risk.

Librarians who develop programs and services that address teen issues and challenges are not overstepping their bounds and becoming guidance counselors or mental health professionals; rather, they're becoming teen advocates, providing young people with the resources to understand the world in which they live.